Busy Theatre Weekend!

Lots of coverage for weekend theatre events in today's Herald-Dispatch, including auditions for a holiday show:

Auditions will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 for First Stage Theatre Company's production of the hilarious Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Auditions will be held at FSTC's new building at 222 7th Avenue in Huntington. The show is being directed by Justin and Sydnee McElroy for presentation on the Main Stage at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center Nov. 30 through Dec. 4.

Children do not have to prepare a song since this is a non-musical. This is a great show for first-time actors. We will be auditioning young people from first grade through high school.

Any questions: Call 304-208-4167.

And my pal Dave Lavender prepared this excellent recap of the shows taking the stage this weekend:

All the world may not be a stage, but all of the Tri-State certainly seems to be.

The thespians have gone wild this weekend with Tri-State theaters tackling everything from Othello and Chicago to some seasonal fare such as Jekyll & Hyde.

Here’s a look at some of the productions happening this weekend.

Little bit Jekyll, whole lot Hyde

Just in time for Halloween, Arts Resources for the Tri-State presents a timely fall run of the macabre musical, Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical over at the Renaissance Arts Center, the old Huntington High at 900 8th St., Huntington.

Performed for the first time in Huntington or Charleston, the musical, which ran on Broadway from 1997 to 2001, runs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at The Renaissance Center Auditorium, 900 8th St., Huntington.

Tickets are $15 for show only and $30 for dinner and a show. Dinner will be served Friday and Saturday only and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Be advised that last weekend’s dinner reservations sold out.

The musical stars veteran theatrical rocker Ryan Hardiman as well as Andrea Parkins, Brittany Adkins, Kennie Bass, Terry Salyer, Betty Craddock and many others.

It is directed by Eddie Harbert, who is directing his 40th local show. Choreography is by Coni Anthony, who is doing her 19th show with Harbert. Chris Bowling is the musical director. The assistant director is Marissa Miller, and the director’s assistant is Carol Scarberry.

Call 304-733-ARTS for tickets and information or go online at www.733arts.org.

Five directors + one-act plays = suspense

Five new directors in training will showcase their directing skills in a new event called Tales of Suspense: an Evening of One-Act Scary Plays at the Paramount Arts Center, that runs at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 24 and 25.

Under the direction of Paramount Player producer Melanie Sweeney, five directors in training will be directing: The Veldt, The Lottery, Reunion on Gallows Hill, The Monkey’s Paw and The Cask of Amontillado.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in the box office in advance or night of show. Call 606-324-3175.

Tales of Suspense will go on the road the following weekend for a one-night show (Oct. 28) dinner theater performance at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, in partnership with the Paramount Arts Center. The dinner theater starts at 6:30 p.m. in the park’s conference center.

Dinner includes choice of rib-eye or tilapia, soup, salad, two vegetables, drink and dessert.

Tickets for the dinner and show are $35 per person plus tax. Reservations must be made by Oct. 21 by emailing stephanie.poplin@ky.gov or calling the park at 1-800-325-0083.

Sweet home ‘Chicago’

The Ashland Community and Technical College Theatre opens its 2011-2012 theater season with the Roaring ’20s scorcher Chicago, The Musical, that follows two death row murderesses, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, in their quest for fame, fortune and acquittal.

The Tony Award winning musical features Molly Maynard as “Velma Kelly” and Rachel Coleman, an Ohio University Southern student from Ashland, as “Roxie Hart.” The cast of Tri-State residents includes Allison Davis and Zach Davis from Huntington.

Performances will run at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 20-22 and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The play will run Oct. 27-30 as well.

Tickets are $2 for ACTC/Morehead State University students, $4 for ACTC employees, $5 students, seniors and groups (10 or more) and $8. Tickets can be reserved through the college bookstore by calling 606-326-2014. Tickets already sold may be used at any performance.

For more information, call the ACTC Theatre Office at 606-326-2073.

Staging Shakespeare

Charleston Stage Company presents William Shakespeare’s classic Othello to kick off its 20th anniversary season. Performance dates are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20-22 and 27-29 at the WVSU Capitol Center Theatre, 123 Summers St., in downtown Charleston. Tickets are $15, and $10 for students and seniors and free to West Virginia State University students.

For more information about the drama, which has a running time of 2:15, call 304-766-5721 or go to www.charlestonstagecompany.com.